


Brilliant. Just Brilliant (Writing War)

by curiouser_curiouser



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Cheating, Copied from deviantART Account, Cussing, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Making Out, Writing Collab, Writing War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-10 02:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2007384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiouser_curiouser/pseuds/curiouser_curiouser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a love triangle going on (more of a deformed shape) and Nico di Angelo is caught in the middle of it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which high school is forced upon Nico di Angelo.

This chapter was written by DaedalusDaVinci (friend on deviantART)

-

Leo slammed the door to the bathroom and ducked into one of the stalls, locking the door before slumping against the wall and panting heavily.

The image of Nico and Percy entangled together in the classroom was seared into his mind like a brand. Leo couldn't ever remember feeling so much pain all at once. Not when his dog, Festus, had died, not when Calypso had left him for that Jake kid, not even when his mom had died. Leo couldn't deny it any longer. He was hopelessly in love with Nico Di Angelo.

It had hurt so bad when Leo had seen them. Thankfully, nobody had seemed to notice him. Percy and Nico were too busy eating each other's faces to notice anything, Leo thought bitterly. Jason, Leo's best friend, had been standing right there, smiling at the two like they were a mission he had finally completed. That just made it worse.

Percy had always been a cool guy, and Leo honestly liked him. But right now, Leo felt like punching him right where it hurts, then smashing his face in with a hammer for good measure. Where did he get off snogging Nico?

Leo's stomach twisted. That should be him right now, holding Nico close and tangling his long fingers in Nico's inky black hair, his warm body pressed against Nico's cold one as they kissed. There was a raging ball of jealousy inside of him, and the Latino didn't know how he was going to manage to contain it.

Sudden realization broke over Leo like a wave, water rolling down his cheeks like he'd just been splashed. He covered his face with his hands, hoping it would muffle the sound of his crying, though he knew it wasn't doing him much good. He mourned his unrequited love, his heart aching for Nico.

Nico loved Percy. Leo would never be with him.

***

Back to the Present:

"Annabeth, please," Nico begged, tugging on her arm. "You don't have to do this."

"Stop complaining," she told him. "You're a smart kid, Nico. I think you can handle it."

"Maybe I don't want to go to high school," Nico said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe I want to stay at my middle school."

"Just yesterday you were complaining about how much you hated middle school, and now you want to stay there?" Percy asked, raising his eyebrows.

Nico shot him a look. He was not helping.

"Come on, man, it'll be fun!" Grover told him from where he was sitting at the kitchen table, happily snacking on the plate of cookies Percy's mom had made up for them.

"Nico, I really think this is a good idea," Annabeth told him. "You're a really smart kid, and I think you can handle high school level work. I've talked to your dad, and he agrees. I'll be speaking on your behalf today to see if I can get you into our high school."

Nico made a choking sound. "My dad agreed?" Great. He thought for sure Hades would be against it.

Annabeth nodded. "He knows you can do it, and so do I. Just give it a chance, Nico."

"You'll be going to the same school as us!" Percy said, grinning. "How cool is that?"

"I don't want to go to high school, though," Nico protested. "I'd rather stay in middle school with Hazel than go to some place where I won't know anybody and I'll have even more homework."

"You'll know us," Annabeth pointed out, "and more homework is kind of the point. Middle school is holding you back, Nico. You could do so much better. And don't worry about Hazel. She's a tough girl; she'll be fine."

Nico sighed. "You're going to make me do this whether I agree or not, aren't you?"

"Yep," she stated, popping the 'p'.

"Fine," Nico agreed reluctantly. "If I'm going to do this, I might as well agree to it. You'll never get me in, though."

"We'll see about that," Annabeth said, smirking.

***

"I got in?!" Nico yelped, rereading the papers to see if he'd gotten it wrong the first three times.

Annabeth beamed. "Yep. They said that judging by your scores, you're ready to handle high school. You'll be a freshman at our school! Isn't that great?"

"I think I'm going to be sick," Nico moaned, slumping into a chair.

"Don't be so dramatic," Annabeth scolded him.

"Come on, Neeks. It'll be fun. You'll love high school," Percy said, plopping down next to him and putting an arm around Nico's shoulders. Percy paused for a moment. "On second thought, I can't believe I just said that. High school sucks, man. But the people... The people are totally awesome. You'll love it."

"I highly doubt that," Nico muttered. "I can't believe you're making me do this."

"Nico, you're one of the smartest kids I've ever met. I can't believe more people don't realize it. You belong in high school, where more people actually match your level of brilliance," Annabeth told him.

Nico groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Don't you get it? No one ever notices I'm smart because I don't make a big deal out of it, or care, for that matter. I keep my head down and I finish the tests in silence. I don't announce my scores loudly, or compare notes. I keep to myself, and no one bothers me. That's the way I like it. I don't want to go to some new school just for being smart and having all the other kids know me as that kid who skipped a grade because he's so brilliant."

"But you are brilliant. And people will barely even notice you. They're all too wrapped up in their own issues to notice anything else," Annabeth said, smirking.

"I hate you all," Nico grumbled.

"We love you too, Nico," Grover said, flipping the page of his National Geographic magazine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico makes a new friend.

This chapter was written by EvilEspressoDrinks (me)

-

It'd only been twenty six minutes into third-period on his first day of high school when Nico decided he was going to murder his so-called 'friends.' He'd already gotten four spitballs to the head and there were annoying (and rather inappropriate whispers behind his attenuate, skeletal back that never ended, saying, 'He looks dead,' and 'How easy do you think it'd be to get him in bed?'

The people were not 'totally awesome,' and Nico was not 'having fun,' as Percy and Annabeth had put it.   
And when he got to the cafeteria that same day, he sure as hell proved his point. 

Trudging over to where he could see Grover Underwood's shamefully corkscrewed hair, he gripped the hem of his aviators jacket in an attempt to hold back a fist punch to the face of Annabeth Chase, not only because she forced him to come here, but because she was gripping Percy's knee in a very sexual way under the table.

He figured judo-flipping Percy for letting her do such a thing (Considering their arrangements. Seriously, just because Percy was dating both Annabeth and Nico didn't mean that the older boy could let his first lover touch him like that.) wasn't an option because then there'd be weird looks and questions, plus, Nico wasn't looking to get detention again. 

He did the only reasonable thing he could do in a situation. 

Sliding in the seat beside the older boy, Nico spoke through gritted teeth. "Hello, Percy!"   
The other boy gave a clueless good morning and returned to his lunch, leaving Nico to stifle a groan. 

Percy took a bite out of his pasta before turning to the Italian. "So, how do you like it so far?"

Nico glared at him. "I hate you. And I hate Annabeth and Grover and everyone else who talked me into this shithole." 

Annabeth leaned forward from side of Percy so that she could see Nico. "I said that, too, Nico," She took a sip of her chocolate milk. "But don't worry, it gets better." 

"And by better," Grover said. "She means worse." 

"Then why the fuck did you guys tell me to-"

"Well, ba-" Percy paused, almost letting his cover slide. "Well, um, Nico, we couldn't let you stay in middle school forever." 

Nico rolled his eyes. "If I had it my way, I'd still be in kindergarden. The teachers probably wouldn't threaten to bang me on the desk in revenge of digital mathematics."

They all stared at him blankly. 

"It was a calculator problem, you perverts," Nico grabbed Percy's water bottle and twisted off the cap, bringing it to his lips. 

"You know, Nico," Percy said. "You were the one thinking about how we might be thinking about the banging you on the desk, which makes you the pervert." 

"Ah, but you were the one who understood what I told you, making you," He took another sip of Percy's water bottle. "the pervert." 

"You're both perverts," Annabeth jumped in. "Now shut up. And Nico, go get something to eat." 

The Italian slammed the water bottle down on the table and glared at the girl. "And just why would I listen to you? You're not my sister."

"But I am Hazel's replacement when you're here and she's still in middle school," Annabeth countered. "So, I say, 'Nico, please go eat before you become unhealthily skeletal, which you already are, but I'm pretty darn sure I'll be seeing bone, soon'. And scene. But seriously, go eat." 

"I'm not hungry, Annabeth."

"Go. Eat." Annabeth scolded him. "Or I will shove that stale-ass pizza down your throat and sew your lips together so you can't throw it up."

Nico contemplated this for a moment. "Fine," He pulled back from his seat and stood angrily, and as he walked away, he gave Annabeth, or as he liked to call her, Annabitch, a single glare. "And just so you know, Hazel will be let know that you poorly impersonated, over exaggerated, and totally messed up her supreme sister skills the second we get back home." 

***

Standing at the lunch line took forever, and on top of the smelly food, the lunch ladies' harry moles and hairnets were not at all appetizing. The only good part coming out of walking up there was when he found out he had no money to pay for his lunch. 

"Sorry, hun," The cashier said. "You can't be eatin' a turkey without paying three bucks, and I ain't given' out free water bottles to non'a ya necrophiliacs. The PB&J's and milk are fo free, so you're in luck. Just head to the back of the line and they'll be at their when you get back up here." 

"But I'm allergic to nuts, ma'am," Nico responded. 

"Hun, you don't need to be tellin' me 'bout ya sexual orientation," She punched something into the register. "Now don't be holdin' up the line." 

"But ma'am, I meant that I'm allergic to peanu-" 

"Hold on a sec," A voice said from beside him, putting an arm over his chest. The guy who'd spoke stepped forward. "Margaret, Nico here is just really hungry, so is it okay if I pay for his lunch?" The boy was a Latino who looked rather elfish. He had tawny skin and he had a firm brow that stood proudly over dark brown eyes. His white shirt was rather tattered under his red suspenders and the golden tool belt around his waist slipped off, revealing parts of his skin. 

"Wait, you don't have to do that," Nico argued. "I can just go steal my friends' lunch." 

"Nah, it's okay," The boy muttered in reply. "I remember that my first day was terrifying and I starved until I got home 'cause I didn't have lunch money. Just helping out a fellow newbie." 

Nico restrained a glare at the name, but was still kind of grateful that someone was finally being nice to him. Though he wasn't particularly keen in having to pay the kid back, considering it'd been seven months and he still hadn't given back Hazel's books. 

"Look, boys," Margaret said. "I dun' care who pays as long as I gots my bucks, so either hand over da money or get out'a mah line." 

The boy nodded before looking down to observe Nico's tray before digging into his tool belt and pulling out a five dollar bill and a nickel. "Here ya go, Margaret." The boy began to turn away, but stopped and gave the cashier an ear to ear smile. "Don't spend it all at once." 

***

Nico invited the boy (Leo, he had found out) to his and his friends' table and offered to split his sandwich after finding out that the guy had spent his all of his lunch money on him. 

"Who's that?" Percy asked jealously when Leo and Nico sat down in the chairs across from him and Annabeth, laughing (it was odd that two people could strike up such conversation on they way back from grabbing an extra straw and a tiny plastic cup). Nico stomped his foot under the table. "Sorry. I meant, um, hi, I'm Percy. What's your name?"

"Leo Valdez, at your service," The impish Latino grabbed a napkin from Nico's tray and spread it out on the table while Nico cut it in half. He picked up half of the turkey and placed it on the napkin. Nico opened the water bottle and poured half of it into a plastic cup, then proceeded to take a sip. "Thanks, man." 

Percy glanced between the two boys, trying not to let his malevolence towards Leo show, both for Annabeth's sake and his own (he really was not looking forward to a lecture from Nico saying, 'awww, someone's jelly' or something along those lines, and when the hell did Nico ever say 'jelly'?). "So, uh, when did you guys meet? I know I haven't seen you together before." 

Annabeth served his a confused look, but he ignored it as Leo answered. 

"Well, we actually just met in the lunch line," He explained gingerly, eyeing Percy and Nico suspiciously. "He didn't have money, so I payed for his food." 

"How nice of you," Percy answered through gritted teeth, turning his head towards his boyfriend. "I would've bought it for you, Neeks." 

Nico seemed amused at the tension between Percy and Leo, only deciding to make the situation worse. "Thanks, but even if you would have, I didn't feel like going back through the line. I think I saw one of those lunch ladies' moles fall into the meatloaf, and I wouldn't exactly call that something that makes my stomach rumble." 

Leo laughed. "One mole?" Nico nodded. "That's nothing. One time, when Margaret was working the food line, I saw her spit into a bowl pasta salad and hand it to the Octavian kid because he wouldn't stop hitting on her daughter, who's actually kind of hot." 

Nico made a face. "Gross." He took a shallow breath. "And a hot girl coming out of Margaret is kind of difficult to believe." 

"Well, then take a look at table seventeen." Leo pointed two tables down to where a single girl sat with three boys. She wore baggy, boyish clothes and had her hair tied into a braid, a single feather hanging from her bangs. "Piper McLean. She's my best girl friend, sitting with my other friends over there. Jason, her boyfriend, and Travis and Conner." 

Nico took a small bite from his turkey sandwich. "I'll believe it when she says so." He took swallowed the bite from his sandwich and gave his attention to everyone sitting at the table. "Doesn't it make you guys wonder just how many spit-filled foods you guys have taken in? I think I'll be bringing lunch from home from now on."

"So you'll be eating, then?" Annabeth asked hopefully. 

"No, Annabeth," Nico replied. "I'll be bringing an empty paper bag with Hazel's embarrassing sharpie messages for no reason at all whatsoever." 

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Well, you can't blame me for asking." 

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "I've only ever seen you eat a piece of cold cheese pizza. And it was plain cheese. How do you even eat that?" 

"I, for one, love cold pizza," Leo argued, and Percy glared at his tray (it was directed towards Valdez, if you couldn't tell). "But Percy's right, Nico. Plain Cheese? Really?"

"It was the only kind left," Nico countered. "And I didn't have an oven to reheat it in, anyway. I don't even like cold pizza."

"You could've used the microwave." Percy suggested. 

"But the pizza tastes soggy when I-" Nico cut himself off. "Why the fuck are we even having a conversation about my eating habits?" 

"Because you never-" Annabeth didn't get to finish when the bell rang throughout the school. She stood up immediately and picked up her tray, running to the nearest garbage can and dumping the trash in. On her way back to pick up her bag, she looked to Nico. "We'll finish this conversation later." 

Percy picked up his tray and dumped the trash it in the garbage can before being dragged to the exit of the cafeteria why Annabeth. And on the way, Percy decided he was going to pretend he didn't see Nico give Leo his phone number as a temporary bye, and Annabeth decided that she, even though she could sense something falling apart in their relationship, wasn't going to bring up a fight with Percy that she knew she was going to lose.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo rides home with Piper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daedalus's Chapter

"So, who was that guy you were talking to at lunch?" Piper asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Nico Di Angelo. He's new," Leo answered. "He forgot lunch money, so I bought it for him."

Piper smirked. "He's kind of cute, huh?"

"Shut up, Piper. It's not like that," Leo said, blushing slightly. "I was just trying to help him out a little."

Piper grinned. "Sure Leo. Whatever you say."

Leo had to hold back a groan, instead just rolling his eyes. Piper was the only one who knew he was bisexual. He hadn't even told Jason. And at this rate, he didn't think he would. Not because Jason wouldn't understand, he was sure he would, but because Jason would probably try to set him up with boys and tease him too. Leo liked it better when he could check out guys without Piper picking up on it. She always seemed to pick up on it. It was kind of annoying. Not that he was checking out Nico. Though the boy did look pretty good in skinny jeans...

Leo told himself to snap out of it, focusing instead on the road as it passed by the window. Yesterday he'd missed his bus stop on accident, and he didn't want that to happen again.

"So, how'd it go in English today?" Piper asked.

Leo groaned, slumping back in the seat.

Piper laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"I hate it! All you do is just sit there for ages! I don't have the concentration for it, Piper. Math is okay, because I'm used to working out numbers in my head. Science is cool, and History is kind of boring, but I hate English," Leo complained. Leo had serious ADHD. He always ended up getting in trouble because he couldn't stop moving around in his seat. Tapping the pencil, bouncing his leg up and down, building origami with the homework sheets. Plus, the teacher, Ms Athena, hated him. She was always telling off two people; Leo and that Percy Jackson kid, who he'd never really payed all that much attention to until today.

Percy Jackson was... confusing. He'd acted kind of weird about Leo, like he didn't seem to like him very much. Leo wondered if he was one of those overly clingy friends who got jealous really easily. Percy didn't seem to like the fact that Nico was talking to someone else.

"Did you get in trouble?" Piper asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"No, not today," Leo said. "Today Ms Athena was picking on Percy instead."

"She seems to really hate that kid, and I don't know why. I think it's more of a personal thing, like she knows Percy outside of school and hates him," Piper mused.

"Yeah, well I don't like him much either. He's kind of rude," Leo said, frowning. "I think he hates me."

"Hmm..." Piper hummed for a moment, thinking. "I wasn't watching you guys very much, so I didn't notice how he was acting."

"I think he's one of those overly clingy friends. He didn't seem to like the fact that I was hanging out with Nico that much," Leo said.

"Percy has a girlfriend, right?" Piper asked.

Leo nodded. "Yeah. Annabeth Chase."

Piper looked thoughtful. "Did he act the same way when you talked to that other kid?"

Leo thought about it for a moment. "No, not really."

"That's interesting..." Piper thought for a while, her mind going a million miles an hour.

Leo glanced out the window, then started. "Oh shoot! This is my stop! Gotta go, Pipes. I'll see you later!" Leo quickly grabbed his backpack, and Piper moved into the aisle so Leo could get out. He ran to the front of the bus and hopped out, stopping to wave at Piper before heading home. His house wasn't far from the bus stop, so it only took about a minute to walk home.

"Dad! I'm home!" Leo called out, shutting the door behind him. No answer. Leo didn't question it. Hephaestus was probably busy working on the car. It had broken down yesterday, and Hephaestus was still trying to fix it.

Leo went upstairs to his room, dropping his backpack on the floor before flopping down on the bed. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the list of contacts until he found Nico's name. Nico had given him his number before they left the cafeteria so they could stay in touch. Leo guessed that meant he made a good impression. He considered texting Nico, just because he was bored. So he clicked on the name and texted;

Leo: Yo Beaty Queen. Wassup?

A few minutes later, Piper had replied.

Piper: What the heck, Leo? I just saw you.

Leo: I know. I was bored.

Piper: *rolls eyes* Of course. Why don't you do your homework or something?

Leo: But I don't waaant to.

Piper: Ms Athena is going to kill you if you forget to do it again.

Leo: It was one time!

Piper: *raises eyebrows*

Leo: Okay, it was a few times...

Leo: The third one wasn't my fault! It got set on fire by Dad's machine!

Piper: Just go do your homework Leo.

Piper: I gotta go. This is my stop. Bye Leo.

Leo: Bye Pipes.

Leo closed the phone, stuffing it back into his pocket. He sighed, getting up and walking over to his backpack. Looks like he was doing homework.


End file.
